Shock wave washer with vacuum operated squeezer extractor



Feb. 24, 1953 H. J, RAND 2,629,244

SHOCK WAVE WASHER WITH VACUUM OPE-RATED SQUEEZER EXTRACTOR Filed March 3, 1948 lNvENToR HENRY J. RAND BYM @lvl ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 24, 1953 sHooK WAVE WASHER WITH VACUUM oPEnA'rED sQUEEzER Ex'rRAc'roR Henry J. Rand, Bratenahl, Ohio, assignor to H. J. Rand Washing Machine Corp., Bratenahl, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application March 3, 1948, Serial No. 12,762

2 Claims. (Cl. (iS- 21) 1 This invention relates to improvements in a Washing machine wherein the washing action takes place inside of a flexible liquidand airtight bag 'by means of high frequency shock waves followed by a vacuum drying operation.

An object of the present invention is to place clothes and a liquid detergent within a flexible liquidand air-tight bag, and the washing of the clothes within the bag by means outside the bag adapted to provide high frequency shock waves in the liquid within the bag to cause a Washing operation there. Following this, the machine is so arranged to Withdraw the liquid and air from the interior of the bag causing the same to collapse against the laundry to squeeze the detergent out of the same. Other objects and advantages of the present invention Will be apparent from the accompanying drawing and description and the essential features will be set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawing, the gure is a central sectional view through a washing machine equipped with my invention.

I have chosen to illustrate my invention as applied to a machine wherein a flexible liquidand air-tight bag I is supported inside of rigid side walls II and a bottom wall I2. The bag is open at the top for the insertion of laundry and detergent such as soaps and the like and a cover Illa is provided for closing this top opening. the bag is filled with liquid to a predetermined level such as the dot-dash line A indicated in the drawing, and with the clothes and suitable detergent within the bag, a Washing action is provided by means positioned entirely outside the bag It. In the present instance I have indicated diagrammatically at I3 a device adapted to produce Vibrations of a very high frequency in the rod I4 which has a button head I5 engaging the bag I through a suitable opening I2a in the bottom of the bag support I2. The device I3 is of a known character and is adapted to produce vibrations of the button head I5 of the order of three to fifty thousand cycles per second. 'Ihere is very little appreciable movement of the button head I5 but instead the frequency of its oscillation is transmitted through the bag I0 to the liquid within the bag. This produces shock Waves of the same frequency in the liquid and it has been found that waves of this frequency will produce a washing action upon the clothes. This washing action is maintained for the desired length of time after which the drying operation follows.

To attain the advantages of my improved drying operation in connection with a wash accom- When 2 plished within the bag, I have provided upstanding perforated post I6 extending up from the central portion of the bag and secured to the bottom wall I2 by means of studs or bolts I'I. The post is provided with perforations Ia communicating with the interior of the bag. Below the central portion of the post a conduit I8 is connected by line I9 and valve 20 with a source of liquid supply such as a faucet or the like which is used for filling the bag to the level A indicated. The conduit I8 also communicates through conduit 2I with pump 22 which is driven by means not shown to withdraw the liquid and air from the interior of the bag when desired and to discharge the same through the discharge conduit 23. It will be noted that the connection of conduit I8 and the connection of the post I6 with the bag and tube structure is provided in a liquidtight manner as clearly shown in the drawing.

At the close of a washing operation, the pump 22 is started and liquid and air are withdrawn from the interior of the bag, passing through the perforations Ilia of the post I6 and then downwardly through the conduit IB. This causes the l bag I0 to collapse inwardly to a position similar to that indicated in the broken line of Fig. 1 so that the detergent is removed from the clothes by the combination of the pressure of the bag plus the effect of the vacuum atmosphere within the bag. I thus accomplish a complete washing and considerable drying of the clothes all without removing them from the bag I I] and without any wear and tear on the clothes.

I claim:

1. A washing machine comprising a flexible walled bag adapted to hold laundry and liquid detergent and having an opening at the top and having an air-tight cover for closing said opening, said bag having a bottom wall and side walls, rigid wall means supporting said bag walls on the outside, there being an opening through said rigid Wall means, a vibrator extending through said opening and engaging the exterior surface of a wall of said bag, said vibrator adapted to vibrate said engaged wall at high frequency without appreciable movement of said engaged wall, a ho1 low member located centrally of the bottom wall of said bag and having the hollow of said member communicating outside of said bag, and means for withdrawing liquid and air through the hollow of said member creating a substantial vacuum within said bag to cause said bag to collapse inwardly against said laundry and to squeeze out flexible Walled bag, adapted to contain laundry and liquid detergent, said bag having substantial side and bottom walls and an opening at the top thereof, an air-tight cover for closing said opening, a hollow up-standing member located centrally ofrsaid .ba-g, .said wallsbeing` .ofi sufficient size to "substani'iiallyl surround said membeL-aa tub having rigid walls for Supporting said bag walls upon the outside thereof, said tub being provided with at least one aperture therethrough, a vibrator extending through .'saidtub wal1,`;sa?id vibrator being positioned to abutafwall tofV said bag upon the exterior surface thereof and .being adapted to vibrate said bag ywa'lflnat-fa hi'ghrequency to obtain a washing action, and means for withdrawing liquid and air through the said hollow member to cause said bag'tov collapsenward* lyagainst said laundry and to squeeze yout-.the idetergent.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS ,Number Name Date 155312,924 Graham.... Mar2 31, 1925 V2,178,385 Alward Oct. 31, 1939 112,407,660 Graham Sept. 1'7, 1946 v2,468,550 Fruth Apr. 26, 1949 112,472,682 lRan'd June 7, 1949 52,495,295 'Spanier Jan. 24, 1950 ,FOREIGN PATENTS .Number Country Date `.691`,`39'2 "France July 8, 1930 506,538 {lemnany Sept, 5, 1930 k'341,741.0 Great Britain Jan. 22, 1931 796,891 France Feb. 3, 1936 548,960 Great Britain Oct. 20, 19,42 "1587;2114 '.Greatlri'tain .'-.i4i1ir;1l'7,194'? 

